Mark Cavendish storms to Dubai Tour victory

Dubai: Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish erased memories of his final stage crash last year to become the overall winner of the Dubai Tour 2015 on Saturday.

The Etixx-Quick Step rider timed a perfect Burj Stage over 123km to signal his intent for the remainder of the season while winning for the fourth time this year.

Cavendish won the final stage of the San Luis race in Argentina and opened out here with a couple of wins on the first two days before Giant-Alpecin’s John Degenkolb took the overall leader’s jersey at the end of the gruelling 205km Stage 3 that concluded on the Hatta Dam on Friday.

However, Cavendish was all poise on the while breaking away at the right moment to sprint his way over the finish line in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa.

Team Sky’s Elia Viviani presented himself with a near-perfect birthday gift finishing second, six seconds behind Cavendish, while Movistar Team’s Juan Jose Valle was placed third a further four seconds adrift.

Shaikh Mansour Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented the top three with the awards in the presence of Mattar Al Tayer, Vice Chairman, Dubai Sports Council (DSC) and Saeed Hareb, General Secretary, DSC, and sponsors.

Action will now shift to the 14th edition of the Tour of Qatar to be held over six stages from February 8 to 13.